Here Comes the Boom

Kevin James has the art of warm, comfy and totally non-threatening G-rated comedy down pat. The Blu-Ray release of "Here Comes the Boom" offers up a few laughs, the rarity of seeing a chunky and throughly unsculptured action figure jiggling his way bare-chested through the bruising world of mixed martial arts while getting the girl of his dreams.

Science teacher Scott Voss (James) is a clock-punching science teacher unmotivated professionally until he sees a chance to impress school nurse Bella Flores (Salma Hayek) by saving the school’s beleaguered and beloved music program by using his long-forgetten wrestling skills to win cash prizes in mixed martial arts.

Teacher-turned-MMA-pro is a premise vaguely reminiscent of the vastly superior musclefest "Warrior," but is treated here with the self-effacing charm and warmth that is James’ stock in trade.

Notable supporting roles are provided by real-life mixed martial arts fighter Bas Rutten as Voss’ trainer Niko; and Henry "The Fonz" Winkler who charmingly sleepwalks his way through the role of music teacher Marty Streb until coming alive with a late inspirational talk. In what is little more than a cameo role is martial arts TV announcer Joe Rogan who, alas, unlike Jams does not appear without his shirt.

The original ending sequence and the blooper cuts offered on the Blu-Ray edition aren’t worth the handful of minutes it takes to watch them, but with one exception (in which James uses a bogus demonstration to "prove" that molecules can grow), the deleted scenes actually will stoke your thirst to see a director’s cut, offering moments of tenderness and humor.